Transit reimbursement to increase to $85 a month

Last year, your bargaining team pushed the County of San Diego to increase the transportation reimbursement for employees. SEIU Local 221 kept up the fight and as a result of those efforts, on March 9, we signed a Letter of Understanding with the County of San Diego to increase the monthly reimbursement for transit by $20 to $85 a month. The implementation of these changes is contingent upon the adoption of an amendment to the County Compensation Ordinance by the County Board of Supervisors. The vote is expected in June.

Increasing the transit allowance is important, especially for members who have to rely on it to get to work. It also could encourage more people to take public transportation and reduce pollution and congestion. As Bargaining Team Member Diane Cates said, it was an issue that we knew we had to keep fighting for, and now that we’ve got the county to agree, it could really make a difference in people’s lives starting this summer.

After implementation, the letter will apply to each eligible employee who purchases a San Diego Metropolitan Transit Development Board “Ready Pass,” which includes trolley usage, County Transit System bus pass, or North County Transit District or “Coaster Plus Pass”, or “Coaster 10-Trip Tickets”, or similar monthly pass, such as Amtrak. Employees will be eligible to participate in the Transit Pass Program on the first day of the month following their date of hire.